Stillingia linearifolia – “Narrow-Leaved Stillingia”

Also Known As: Linear-Leaved Stillingia, Queen’s Root
Family: Spurge (Euphorbiaceae)
Bloom Period: Mar-May
Form: Perennial herb
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly soils washes and in open flats
Leaves: Linear; alternate
Translation: “Stillingia” is named for Dr. Benjamin Stillingfleet (1702-1771), botanist and author of the “first fundamental treatise on the principles of Linneaus published in English”; “linearifolia” is Latin for “narrow-leaved,” which this plant is.
Notes: This plant has separate male and female flowers on the same plant, with the males above the females on the upright stems. The male flowers each have a two-lobed calyx and two stamens, while the female flowers have three stiles emerging from the top of a three-chambered ovary.